Melting tank



O 1 1940 .1. w. TAYLOR MELTING TANK Filed May 10. 1939 LIA/v5.5 W 72mm Patented Oct. 15, 1940 MELTING TANK James W.- Taylor, Pensacola, Fla... assignor to ninsular -Lnrton Company, Pensacola, Fla.,

a corporation of Florida A pli ation May 10, 1939, Serial No. 212,145

12.0laims.

This invention relates to a melting tank more particularlyto a tank for melting down oleoresins or other resinous material, and the like.

It is an object of the present invention to pro-'- vide a tank in which strainer means are positioned in the upper portion of the tank forthe withdrawal therefrom of molten portions of the charge and a steam jet associated therewith'for heating and recirculating such withdrawn molten portions through the unmelted portion of the charge to aid in the melting thereof and increase the rapidity with which the entire charge is brought to a molten state.

It is a further important object ofthis invened baiile member for supporting the charge of material to be -melted, with indirect and direct steam heating means so arranged with respect to said perforated baiiie as to efiect a rapid heating and circulation of molten portions of the charge upwardly through the baflie into the unmelted portion of the charge supported thereabove.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawing.

Thisinvention (in a preferred form) is illus-.

trated in the drawing and hereinafter more fully described.

0n the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a melting tank embodying the principles of my invention,

. with parts shown in elevation. I

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional viewtaken substantially on the line lI lI of'Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the line IIIIII of Fig. 1.

D Figure 4 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional viewofthe steam jet associated with'the filtrate line from the strainer. Figure 5 is an enlarged broken and fragmentary sectional view of the bottom fitting and A 45 ldwer steam jet assembly.

55 extends through said head and is provided with a T fitting 18, on the top of which is' mounted a relief valve'i'l, and 'into the side of which extends a steam pipe 13.

The lower end of said tank 10 is provided with a reduced cylindricalportion l3 which is secured anda the cylindrical body r the tank by means of a convergent bottom wall 20. The lower end of said reduced cylindricalportion I3 is enclosed tioned a perforated basket 23, removably sup-.

Ported in spaced relation to the walls of the tank by an upper annular baflie ,24 secured to the inner cylindrical wall of the tank and having a cylindrical flange engaging said basket. In order to facilitate the removal of said basket, cars are tion to provide a melting tank having a perforat- .provided that project inwardly from. the upper neck band 26 of the-basket.

The basket itself may be formed of suitable foraminous material, such as wire mesh, the wire of which has a gauge of 0.080 inch and the openings of which are about inch square. The basket is of generally cylindrical shape with a downwardly convergentbottom that is spaced from and substantially concentric with the convergent bottom wall 20 of the tank. To the very bottom of said basket 23, centrally thereof, is secured an inverted funnel-shaped member 21, 1 which may suitably be formed of sheet metal and which serves a function later to be described.

A helical steam coil 23 is supported from vertical brackets'30 between the spaced cylindrical 33. An upper steam-inlet admits'steam to therefrom'thro'ugh a lower outlet 36. g

elongated strainerpipe- 31 extends for substantially the full length of the tank It above the heme-24 in slightly spaced relation to the inner cylindrical wall of thetank. Suitable filtering material 38 covers the length of strainer pipe 31. The'lower end of said strainer pipe 31 is' connected to a short length of piping that extends through the tank wall and is joined by a Tiltting 40 with a vertical length of pipe' 4|. A valve 42 is positioned in'the length of pipe. A steam pipe 43 having a controlling valve 44 is threaded into the upper branch of the,fltting 40 to :pro'videa jetorifice 45 within said fitting 40 at a point about opposite to the opening of the pipe 39 into said fitting. The vertical length of pipe 4| extends into a cross fitting It, to one horizontal branch ofwhich is joined a pipe 41 having a valve 43 and open- .ging into the tank l0 ata point lust above the convergent bottom wall 23. A continuation 4la of the pipeline 4| connects with a horizontal pipe 43 provided with a valve 53. A continuation 41c of the pipe 41 extends beyond the cross fitting 43 and is provided with a valve ll Through the lower convergent end 2| of the sump chamber 22 is secureda cross fitting 52, into one horizontal branch of which is threaded the end of the pipe 49 and into the other horizontal branch of which extends a steam pipe 53 having a control valve 54. A second steam pipe 55 extends vertically upwardly through the fitting 52 to terminate in a nozzle 33 within the inverted funnel member 21 and in slightly spaced relation to the bottom of the basket 23. Said steam pipe I3 is controlled by means of a valve I1. 1

In operation, the upper closure member l2 first removed. and the tank charged with the material to be melted, which, for the purposes of description, will be referred to as oleoresin. The solid, or semi-solid oleoresin, is charged into the tank III to rest upon the basket 23 and substantially fill the tank up to the reduced neck portion II. The cover is then fastened in place by means of the swinging bolts l3 and steam is admitted into the coils 29 and 33 through the respective inlets 3| and 33. As the oleoresin becomes heated, some of the material melts and passes downwardly through the mesh of the basket 23 into the sump 22, any larger foreign impurities being retained in the basket. with the dischargefrom the Jet 33, occurs adjacent the reduced neck of the inverted funnel member 21, portions of the liquid charge within the sump 22 will be inducted into the high velocity-stream of 4| through the steam pipe 43 and valve 44. with the valves 42 and 43 open, and the valves II and II closed, the action of the jet of steam issuing from the pipe 43 into the T fitting 40 results in a rapid circulation of the molten portion with drawn through the strainer 33 and pipe 31.

These molten portions are discharged into the lower portion of the tank through the pipe 41 and, owing to their highly heated condition, spread" upwardly over the heating coils 23 and circulate back through the meshes of the basket 23 into the upper portion of the tank, where the! serve to melt down any'unmelted portionfi of the charge in the upper portion of the tank. The

steam jets provided by the steam pipes 43 and 35 may be operated either simultaneously or in either sequence, and the operation of the Jetscontinued until the entire charge is melted.

Upon complete melting of the charge, the

' steam is shut on from the Jets 4! and I3 and the molten charge allowed to stand for a sufilcieht period to enable finely dividedsolid impurities to Atthis point of the operation, the charge comprises melted oleoresin in a highly fiuid state and .a certain amount of water condensate, resulting from the live steam directly injected into the mass through the steam jets 44 and I. It might be explained that during the introduction of steam-through said jets, the release valve I1 is set at a lower pressure than the steam iets so as to prevent an excess pressure from building up within the tank.. Some steam, water vapor and vapor of spirits of turpentine are vented through the release valve I'I during the steaming opera- I tion. The spirits of turpentine may be recovered manner.

When the contents of the tank are ready to be discharged for further processing, steam is admitted into the top through the steam pipe I! and pipe- It to create a pressure upon the top of the melted charge, while the valves 43 and ii are opened and the valves 42 and 53 are closed. This permits the molten contents of the tank to be discharged through the pipes 41 and 41a. Since said pipes 41 and 4': enter the tank 13. at a point substantially above the sump chamber 22, the molten contents of the tank so discharged through these pipes are substantially free from settlable solids.

After the tank has been discharged down to the level of the pipe 41, the valve 43 is closed and the valve is opened, and steam admitted through the pipeline '3 and valve 34 to discharge the remaining contents of the tank within the sump chamber 22. Such remaining portion of the tank contents contains the finely divided set tlable foreign solids but is free from the larger solid impurities, such as trash, which are retained within the basket as. The contents of the sump may thus be passed through the same filters that are used to filter the cleaner oleoresins, but subsequentto the filtration of the cleaner portionsgof' the charge, so as to avoid clogging of the filters.

It .will thus be seen that 1 have provided a melting tank having indirect heating elements and direct steamiets so arranged as to effect a rapid melting of materials charged into the tank.

At the same time, the tank is soproportioned and the outlet piping therefrom so arranged at different levels that the molten contents of the tank can be reinov'ed in stages, whereby cleaner portions of the melted charge can befiltered first and the capacity of the filters thereby greatly increased.

It will, of course, be understood that varioiu details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of they appended claims.

- I claim as my invention:

1. A melting tank comprising a container a perforated charge supp rting member in the low er portion thereof but spaced from the bottom of said container, heating means adiacent said member, a'vertical strainer element positioned charge retaining member above said sump cha nber, pipe connections into said sump chamber and into said container above said sump chamber, a strainer element positioned above said perforated member and valve connected to each of said pipe connections and a steam jet arranged to effect circulation of melted material withdrawn through said strainer into one of said pipe connections and upwardly through said perforated member and any unmelted portion of the charge thereof 'to aid in melting the same.

8. A melting tank comprising a heated container having a lower sump chamber, a perforated charge retaining member above said sump chamber, pipe connections into said sump chamber andinto said container above said sump chamber, a strainer element positioned above said perforated member and valve connected to each of said pipe connections, a steam jet extending through said sump pipe connection for discharging steam through said perforated member and a steam jet arranged. to efiect circulation of melted material withdrawn through said strainer'into' the other of said pipe connections and upwardly through said perforated member and any unmelted portion of the charge-thereof to aid in melting the same. I

4. A melting tank comprising a relatively tall 'narrow cylindrical container having a convergent lower portion terminating in a sump chamber, a perforated basket supported in spaced relation above said convergent portion, indirect heating means positioned between said basket and the adjacent container walls and means for withdrawing melted portions of a charge within said con-, tainer from a point above said basket and recirculating said portions-around said'heating means and back up through said basket. Y

5. A melting tank comprising a relatively tall narrow cylindrical container having a convergent lower portion terminating in a sump chamber, a

perforated basket supported in spaced relation above said convergent portion, indirect heating means positioned between said basket and the adjacent container walls, means for withdrawing melted portions of a charge within said container from a point above said basket and recirculating said portions around said heating means and back up through said basket and other means for heating and inducting portions of molten mate-' rial from said sump chamber and discharging said portions upwardly through the contents of said basket. i

6. A melting tank comprising a relatively tall narrow cylindrical container having a convergent lower portionterminating in a-sump chamber, a perforated basket supported in spaced relation above said convergent portion, indirect heating means positioned between said basket and the adjacent container walls, means including a strainer in the upper part of said container and a steam jet forwithdrawing melted portions 'of a charge within said container from a point above said basket and recirculating said portions around said heating means and back up through said basket and other means for heating a nd inducting portions of molten material from said sump chamber and discharging said portions upwardly through the contents of said basket,

7.. A melting tank comprising a relatively tall narrow cylindrical container having a convergent lower portion terminating in a sump chamber, a

perforated basket supported in spaced relation above said convergent portion, indirect heating means positioned between said basket and the adjacent container walls, an elongated vertical strainer element in the upper part of said container having a lower filtrate outlet, a pipe connection from said filtrate outlet leading outside of said container and opening thereinto adjacent said basket, and steam Jet means for discharging steam into said pipe to heat and circulate filtrate from said strainer element.

8. A melting tank comprising a relatively tall narrow cylindrical container having a convergent lower portion terminating in a sump chamber,

a perforated basket supported in spaced relation the contents'thereof.-

9., A melting tank comprising a ,tall cylindrical container having a lower sump chamber, aperforated charge retaining member above said sump Y chamber, heating means adjacent said retaining member, an elongated strainer element in the upper part of said container, a pipe from said strainer element extending outside of said container and opening-into'said container at points above said sump chamber and at the bottom of said chamber, and a steam jet for discharging steam into said pipe to heat and circulate melted portions of charge drawn through said strainer element.

10. A melting tank comprising a tall cylindrical container having a lower sump chamber, a perforated charge retaining member above said sump chamber, heating means adjacentsaid retaining member, an elongated strainer element in the upper part of said container, a'pipe from said strainer element extendingoutside of said container and opening into said container at points, above said sump chamber and at the bottom of said chamber, a steam jet for discharging steam into said pipe to heat and circulate melted portions'of charge drawn through said strainer element and a second steam jet extending vertically upward through said sump chamber to discharge steam into the portion of the charge above said perforated member.

11. In a melting tank having a perforate charge retaining barrier in the lower portionthereoi'; means for withdrawing molten portions of the charge from a point above said barrier, and a heating fluid operated jet means for heating and recirculating said withdrawn portions through said barrier up through the unmelted portions of the charge thereabove.

12. In a melting tank having a perforate charge retaining barrier in the lower portion melted portions of the charge thereabove, said means comprising an elongated strainer element .in the upper portion or said tank, .a valve controlled pipe from the lower end of said element opening into said tank below said barrier and a steam jet arranged to discharge steam into said pipe to set up forced circulation'therethrough.

JAMES W. TAYLOR. 

